Rose's October Shop Watch: Flying Goose Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce
Sriracha sauce
Sainsbury's, Asda, Ocado
What?
Flying Goose Sriracha sauce
Why?
Thai ketchup
Sriracha hot chilli sauce is Thai ketchup. That is the simplest way to describe it. It is used, well, like (fiery) ketchup – that is to say to add flavour to dishes like grilled meats, seafood, eggs and the famous noodle dish Pad Thai. It is also used in other Asian countries as a dipping sauce with spring rolls or with dishes such as Hainanese chicken. A deep red in colour, it is made of sun ripened chilli peppers with sugar, garlic and vinegar added, to give it a hot, sweet and tangy flavour. And it comes in a very distinctive bottle with a green top.
But this sauce has been having a bit of a surge in popularity outside Asia, and is now stocked in all the major supermarkets. It has even become a cult item in the States where it is also known as Rooster sauce after the logo on the bottle of the biggest brand. The reason for this is not hard to fathom – it brings a real hot flavour boost to almost anything. Instead of ketchup reach for the Sriracha on your burgers or sausages or bacon for a change. Drizzle it over an omelette or add to boiled eggs in a sandwich. Make devilled eggs by mashing the boiled egg yolks with some Sriracha and watch them turn a rich golden colour before spooning them back into the whites. Mix Sriracha with mayonnaise and you have a spicy Marie Rose sauce for your prawn cocktail, or to use in chicken sandwiches or salads, or better still to eat with chips. Then think of dips like cream cheese or hummus or guacamole with an added chilli kick. You could even add it to tartare sauce to spice up your fish. And it makes a mean Bloody Mary.
If you use ketchup in cooking try switching it for Sriracha. Add it to your fishcake mixture or the minced beef for your burgers. Let it infiltrate your shepherd’s pie. Brush it on butternut squash while it is roasting. Use it in a glaze for gammon. Mix it into a honey marinade for chicken. Slip it into a cauliflower cheese or use it to infuse your macaroni cheese. The website for the Flying Goose brand, which is the one I have chosen, takes it to another dimension – try Sriracha brownies or popcorn!
The name Sriracha is said to have originated from the name of a small fishing port in Thailand: Sri Racha, and it is thought to have been invented there by a woman called Thanom Chakkapak. Little did she know she was inventing a global hit! And whilst we are talking about its history, we should touch on how to pronounce it. You can listen to this online, but I have seen it described phonetically as suh-raa-chuh although I find the nearest is see-raj-ha.
However you say it, now is the time to add more warmth and flavour to your food as we leave summer behind. And this would certainly help to take us through any possible further lockdown.
Conclusion:
Warmth injection
Product Details:
Flying Goose Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce
£3.00 - 455ml
Contact:
sainsburys.co.uk
asda.com
ocado.com
Availability as at 30th September 2020